Is the CAT-Q valid in 12-18 year olds with Autism Spectrum Condition?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Psychometric Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) in a Population of Autistic and Non-Autistic 12-18-year-old Adolescents via Confirmatory Factor Analysis.
IRAS ID
297148
Contact name
Tom Laverick
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Teesside University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study will build on an initial validation of a questionnaire in autistic adults (Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire, CAT-Q). The population here will be adolescents aged 12-18 years, to validate its use in a non-adult sample. The CAT-Q is a questionnaire recently designed and tested by Hull et al. (2018) to investigate ‘masking’ of autism traits in an adult population. It is a questionnaire containing 25-items, on which participants must rate themselves a score of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). An example of a question on the CAT-Q is: “When I am interacting with someone, I deliberately copy their body language or facial expressions”.
Approximately 300 participants will be used across local NHS CAMHS sites, local autism charities, and Mumsnet. This study is aiming to validate the use of the CAT-Q in adolescents to see if it is suitable for use as a clinical screening tool in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Participants with ASD who access local charities will be given a web link if they want to participate. When they click on the link, participants will be given a digital Participant Information Sheet, which will include the necessary study and ethical details. Participants who choose to complete the questionnaire will be anonymous. The completion of the questionnaire will be entirely online.
An advert will be submitted to Mumsnet to recruit 12-18 year olds without autism. Mumsnet have been contacted and their Head Quarters have said that a discussion thread can be started, asking for parents to get their children to complete the CAT-Q. Participants in the NHS CAMHS service(s) will be given a link to the study in their final information packs after having gone through the ASD pathway.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/NE/0091
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion